Shoulda Been a Cowboy (Rough Riders #7)(55)

His strong, warm hand closed over hers. “I wanted to give you something that’s a symbol. A reminder.”


“Of?”


“Me,” he whispered silkily. “Will you wear it for me, Domini?”


Was this necklace a tangible symbol of his…ownership? And why in the heck didn’t that very idea bother her? Why was she absurdly touched?


Domini squeezed his fingers. “Yes, I’ll wear it for you, Cam.”


She felt him grin against her cheek. “Good. I’ll pick you up after my shift ends tonight. Be ready.”


Chapter Fourteen


Three hours left on his shift. What a long boring night. Thank God he could spice up his dull thoughts by replaying last night’s events.


Talk about a blazing encounter. He’d taken Domini to his favorite spot, an overlook where the view of the high plains stretched for miles. The stars were bright, the air was cool and her body had been red-hot. Being in the great outdoors had stirred the beast in him. He’d answered the call of the wild and shown her a truly dominant male.


Cam had made her strip then spread her out on a blanket in the back of his truck. While feasting on her juicy *, he’d introduced her to one of his favorite toys—a beaded butt plug. After she came with a sexy shriek that echoed across the plateau, he f*cked her so hard the truck bounced. After he roared his release, he heated them both up again with the rough kisses and insistent caresses she craved. Then Cam removed the plug, pushed her over a fallen log and reamed her ass, riding her without mercy, keeping her head down, keeping his hand around her throat, around the necklace that was proof of his possession.


She’d loved every second of her total surrender to him. He’d made sure of it.


“Deputy McKay, please respond.”


Snapped out of his lewd thoughts, he responded, “This is Deputy McKay, dispatch, go ahead.”


“Multiple vehicle accident on Highway 74A. Officer on scene is reporting multiple fatalities. We’ve called in all available units, as well as first responders from Search and Rescue from Weston County. They’ve confirmed they’re en route.”


“What happened?”


“A temperature inversion at the bottom of Shep’s Canyon caused heavy fog. Due to slick road conditions, a semi misjudged the curve and jackknifed, blocking both lanes. Approaching vehicles didn’t see the accident until they were right upon it. Sayzers is reporting at least four vehicles are involved at this point, two confirmed DOA, so use extreme caution when approaching scene.”


“What am I looking for?”


“Mile marker forty-one.”


“Has the fog lifted?”


“Affirmative.”


“My ETA at mile marker forty-one is approximately six minutes.”


“Roger that. And…Deputy, please be aware that if another law enforcement choice were available, we wouldn’t be sending you to deal with this…situation.”


Cam’s knuckles went white on the steering wheel. Son of a bitch. That was dispatch’s way of warning he knew the victims.


Fuck. He tried to rein in his fear as his mind checked names off the list of possibilities. His parents were home. Ditto for Colby, Cord, and their families. Carter and his brood were in Canyon River. Keely was in Cheyenne. Colt and Indy were at an A.A. meeting in Sundance and wouldn’t have reason to be on the back road going into Moorcroft.


His stomach twisted into a mass of knots. Kade traveled this road every day. As did his wife, Skylar. He swallowed hard against the bile rising in his throat.


Didn’t mean it was them. It could be anyone.


That thought didn’t alleviate his fears.


He looked up just as mile marker forty passed by. Less than a mile now.


There was no way to mentally prepare himself, but there was no way to blank it out either. The darkness of the isolated location morphed into an eerie otherworld as red, blue and amber strobe lights flashed. He slowed.


Pieces of twisted metal, chunks of plastic taillights littered the road. His gaze landed on the semi. One white mega-cab pickup was embedded in the side of the semi-trailer. His gaze tracked the headlights spilling across the road from an unnatural angle. Another car was upside down on the shoulder, the front end crushed into the front seat. The roof was caved in and glass from the broken windshield covered the roadway. Two workers were attempting to remove the driver’s side door and they weren’t hurrying.


His belly lurched. Chances were slim whoever was in that car had survived.


Orange cones and flashers lined the perimeter, although no one manned the area. Leaving his flashers on, he donned his reflective vest and forced himself out of the patrol car.


Cam’s feet were dragging—for once not because he had an artificial leg. He’d seen car accidents in his time as a deputy. Hell, he’d witnessed some damn gruesome car bombings in his years in the army, but none of the incidents involved someone he knew.


Fred, the part-time EMT, motioned him over. “Deputy, are we taking the victims to the hospital?”


The guy didn’t mean to the hospital for treatment; he meant to the hospital since it also housed the county morgue. Cam cleared his throat. “Yes.”